Jewish megastar Matisyahu said on social media that he had to cancel a show because of the threat of protests and he decided to donate money to charities helping Israelis.
“Dear fans, it saddens me to write this to you. Our sold-out show tonight at the House of Blues Chicago has been cancelled due to the threat of protests,” said the performer on his social media account.
“While the true details surrounding this decision remain opaque, and while the responsible parties all point fingers at one another over the decision,” he added. “I can assure you there have been no threats of violence received by our security team who have been vigilant in knowing what is happening in each city.”
He went on to say that the venue had already paid him so he had decided to donate the money to charities benefitting the hostages who were taken by Hamas terrorists during their horrendous attack on Israel.
In February, Matisyahu had to cancel two shows in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Tucson, Arizona, at the last minute because some staff at the venues refused to show up for work in protest against the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.
“[T]he staff at these venues refused to come to work,” he wrote at the time, “because they are either anti-Semitic or have confused their empathy for the Palestinian people with hatred for someone like me.”
A coalition of “local union and pro-Palestinian activists” released a statement claiming they opposed the singer’s support for “the genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.” They also accused Matisyahu of being “transphobic” because he wrote that no one’s pronouns would “prevent Jihadists from breaking into your home” on social media.
“We will not cower to these bullies.”
In his post Friday, he promised his fans that he wouldn’t back down and would continue performing at concerts.
“While my fans and I are deeply hurt by this, please know we will not cower to these bullies and the pressure they exert. The ramifications of such tactics go beyond me and the Jewish people,” Matisyahu wrote.
“These individuals and the organizations that break under their pressure threaten the bedrock of artistic expression, intellectual honesty, and empathy between people with different views and concerns,” he concluded.
Here’s more about the cancellation:
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